Tourism revival 'on course' - PM

Figures for tourism arrivals in January showed a six per cent increase over the same month last year, the prime minister said yesterday.

Speaking during a tour of the new Intercontinental Hotel run by the Eden Leisure Group, Dr Fenech Adami said growth in the sector had been registered for the fourth consecutive month. This showed that the tourism revival was on course.

Located in St George's Bay, the Intercontinental has 451 guest rooms and employs 300 people. An additional 100 would be engaged in the peak season.

Dr Fenech Adami said: "The impressive high technology levels of the hotel reflect what the country needs - courage and faith in itself. Investors who put so much into such projects show they have faith in themselves and in the country where they are operating."

The prime minister expressed satisfaction at the findings of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association survey, published on Tuesday, which showed that practically all hotel operators in Malta were in favour of EU membership.

"The message of the survey is clear to those working in the hotel industry: the industry expects to perform better with EU membership and those working in it should take heed of these results and their implications," Dr Fenech Adami said.

Kevin and Ian Decesare, who own the Eden Leisure Group, said the five-star deluxe hotel had already catered for a 200-guest conference and had another 400-guest conference booked for the end of the month.

The 15-storey hotel has 4,000 square metres of landscaped gardens. It has 18 separate function rooms with a capacity for 641 delegates.